Leading care home experts publish book designed to inspire and stimulate care home managers

Over a hundred key people in the care sector, including Davina Ludlow, director of carehome.co.uk, have contributed to a book aimed to energise and inform care home managers.

The book titled ‘Not another care handbook: Pearls of wisdom for care managers’ presents the accumulated wisdom and experience of 109 care home experts in the form of 109 chapters.

The chapters cover important issues affecting care homes such as legal quagmires and pitfalls, running a safe home, promoting your home successfully, valuing and working with residents and end of life care.

In each chapter, the expert has condensed the information into 10 key points.

The book is edited by Dr Richard Hawkins, editor-in-chief of Caring Times and the forward is written by Barbara Pointon, patron of Dementia UK and ambassador for the Alzheimer's Society.

Dr Hawkins calls it an “exceptional book because it has over 1,000 pearls of care wisdom for managers from 109 experts in the care home sector. We are so confident that managers will find it invaluable that we are offering a money back guarantee on all purchases”.

Ms Ludlow of carehome.co.uk, leading online guide to care homes, has written a chapter on ‘Using electronic marketing successfully’.

She explains in the chapter how online marketing is the “dominant form of marketing today” and says “When looking for care for either themselves or a loved one, more than 70 per cent of the population start searching via the internet to ascertain what type of care is available and where the most suitable care can be located”.

Consequently she advises care home managers that “it is vital that a high percentage of your marketing budget is allocated to online activities”.

Other care home experts in the book include Des Kelly, executive director of the National Care Forum, Frank Ursell, chief executive of Registered Nursing Home Association, Chai Patel, chairman of HC-One and Avnish Goyal, managing director of Hallmark Care Homes.

Other leading experts featured are Kevin Craig, managing director at PLMR (Political Lobbying and Media Relations) with a chapter on ‘Using Social Media Successfully’ and Damian Utton, partner at Pozzoni Architects, specialising in design for older people with a chapter on making your care home dementia friendly. Castleoak’s Group chief executive, Mel Knight, has also contributed to the book giving advice on new build, extension and refurbishment projects.

He calls the book a “must-read for managers and senior staff of care homes and residential premises” and says: “It was an honour to be asked to contribute to this unique handbook. Our experience tells us that collaboration with good communication and a shared understanding is the best way of working successfully with your builder. This applies to not only managing and meeting the needs and expectations of your residents, but also to cost, timescale and quality.”

Information on ordering the book can be found at www.careinfo.org